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Art Galleries Survived the Lockdowns. Now Comes the Hard Part

As spaces reopen from Hong Kong to London, buyers demand deep discounts and dealers must adapt to a new world of social distancing

Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Salzburg.

Source: Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac 

A $5.5 million painting by Cecily Brown, a sold-out New York debut by emerging artist Katja Farin and many other artworks found buyers online during the shutdowns.

The $64 billion art market, the epitome of the globe-trotting jet set, has muscled through lockdowns better than anticipated. Now, as galleries from Hong Kong to Berlin reopen, the biggest challenges may lie ahead.